BBC R&D have determined the resolution levels people can typically perceive at the most common viewing distance, just under 9 feet.
- http://www.reghardware.com/2011/05/19/tv_sizes_deconstructed/page2.html
- http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP092.pdf
Some examples I draw from this:
- For my 24 inch (diagonal) editing monitor viewed at 2 feet (my typical distance), this is equivalent to a screen of (9/2)*24= 84 inches (diagonal) at the study’s typical viewing distance. Based on this, their results imply that I can resolve in excess of full HD (1920×1080).
- Though a typical TV viewer might not sit at this distance, someone watching on a laptop or tablet etc. might well do.
- An elderly person I know sits at “about ten feet” from a 50 inch (diagonal) HD screen (a Panasonic 3D TV). They notice little difference between SD and HD. BBC results suggest they should be able to perceive up to 1280×720.
- In addition to the possible ageing issue (deteriorating vision), I wonder if their TV incorporates any clever scaling algorithm to produce an image that is HD-smooth if not HD-detailed. In principle algorithms can infer greater resolution from consideration of sets of frames, so detail-enhancement is not beyond the realms of possibility.